I reached for my backpack, but Elijah stopped me. He took it out of my hands and set it on the front seat.
“Salem, I’d hate for something to happen to your genealogy books. Let me hang on to them, and I’ll bring them when I come get you to go to the library.”
I nodded at his suggestion. He was probably right. It had been years of work, and I’d hate for something to happen to it. Elijah assured me that the home was safe, though. It couldn’t be any worse than where I’d fled from.
“Do you want to hang on to my phone too?” I asked and held my purple phone out toward him.
“Yes, I’ll be sure to keep this safe,” he promised as he put my phone on the front seat by my backpack.
I followed Elijah into the house, and we were greeted by a man wearing a white tank top and black pants, and he had slicked-back black hair.
“Salem, I’d like for you to meet my good friend, Sebastian.”
8
Garrett
The heavy smokein the room caused my eyes to burn, and I reached up to rub them with my thumb and middle finger. I took a long sip from my beer bottle and glanced around the room. I saw S, C, and the woman known as SS, but still no sign of A or B.Where the fuck are you two?
Not being able to see A or B now for several parties in a row had become deeply concerning to me. The fear and concern over the reason for their absences carried a great amount of guilt with it. However, if that weren’t enough, there seemed to be a new addition. The discovery of the new girl made my stomach feel like it was full of bricks.
The young newcomer had black hair with a purple streak in it. She wore a mask over her eyes and nose, and the eye holes had dark screens blocking anyone from seeing her eyes. From where I stood, the girl’s body appeared to be clear and free of any needle or track marks. She was definitely new and trying to adhere to the fucked-up rules. Her head moved around nervously, trying to look at everyone. A clear sign that she was afraid. If she really wanted to be here, she wouldn’t be scared. Her shoulders were pulled upward, another sign that she was afraid and here against her will.
She would screech when startled and began to cry when people were rough with her. A few guards would go to her and hold her still while another one beat her ass with a bamboo cane. I forced myself to watch because it was a cold reminder of my continued failures within this fucking case.
She was here because I’d failed to pull information from the others that would save them all from this pit of Hell.
She was terrified because I’d failed.
She cried because I’d failed.
She was covered in piss and cum because I’d failed.
And now, she had blood running down the backs of her thighs because I’d failed.
So the least I could do—and I felt I owed to her—was to stand by and feel uncomfortable by the sight of all of this shit.
I’m sorry.
I grabbed another beer and took a long swig from it while the guards continued to punish the young woman. I slowly glanced around and spotted the masked man leaning against the wall. Smugly, he stood there with his hands casually in his pockets, watching the new girl. I found it repulsive how he wore a grin on his face, as if he were watching something adorable. I pushed down the urge to go over and knock the smile right off his face. I had to stop watching him because the mood I was in could expose the entire undercover operation.
I focused on the wood casing of the pool table while S endured several belligerent men using him. I could withstand watching almost anything with The Hidden House, but only because that was consensual. Care and concern took place there, whereas all of that was void here.
This shit was something else, and I didn’t know how these young people were still alive. Though I imagined they’d died a little at each of these parties. And that was just what was going on at the parties. Only the devil himself knew exactly what happened behind closed doors. Speaking of the disgusting devil, he walked toward the bar and leaned on it beside me.
“Enjoying yourself, Ron?” Sebastian asked me.
“I am, of course,” I lied through my teeth and even let him catch me adjusting my dick in my pants.
“Can I interest you in a private room with any of them?” he offered.
“I enjoy watching, for the most part.” I tilted the opening of the bottle against my lips, pouring more beer into my mouth. “Honestly, Sebastian, I came to the last party hoping for some time with B. Is there a chance he’s available? I don’t see him around tonight.”
“Ah, yes. He’s my most popular one. He’s also the most poorly behaved. He’s being restricted right now,” Sebastian said.
“When will he no longer be restricted and available for me?” I boldly asked.
“That’s up to him.”
